Stovall said while some people may be offended by the actions of his department, they should not be.

'We're going to do it to everybody,' he said. 'Criminals don't like being talked to.'

Does this sound like a violation of your 4th Amendment right to privacy without probable cause? Well, they claim that rising crime statistics provide all of the probable cause they need to stop any and every person who may be walking in the street.

'To ask you for your ID, I have to have a reason,' he said. 'Well, I've got statistical reasons that say I've got a lot of crime right now, which gives me probable cause to ask what you're doing out. Then when I add that people are scared...then that gives us even more [reason] to ask why are you here and what are you doing in this area.'

Understandably this type of "your papers, please" policy has drawn fire from many in the community causing the Paragould Police Department to go into damage control, but not to change their plans.

Paragould Police issued an official statement in an attempt to justify patrolling neighborhoods with machine guns and infringing on the privacy rights of citizens.

The core of the statement is as follows (confirmation of the chief's statements are in bold):

Once an area has been identified as a high crime neighborhood, the select group of officers will saturate the area in an attempt to curb the criminal behavior that is plaguing that particular neighborhood. Officers will accomplish this in a variety of different methods. Officers will be working to identify residents in the affected area so that we can better serve our affected neighborhoods. Most often, this identification process will be nothing more than making contact with a subject, handing them a business card, and asking if they live in the area and if there's anything we can do for them. During hours in which crime seems to be more prevalent (i.e. between the hours of 11pm and 5 am), our process will become more stringent. We will be asking for picture identification. We will be ascertaining where the subject lives and what they are doing in the area. We will be keeping a record of those we contact....

Another issue that seems to be of concern is the mention of Street Crimes Unit officers carrying AR-15 rifles with them during these patrols. To give a little background information, several of our patrol officers already carry AR-15 rifles in their patrol vehicles. The AR-15 and police work is nothing new. Our Street Crimes Unit will not be wearing them constantly. That would be impractical. As we have stated in our meetings, our main purpose of mentioning this was to prepare our residents in the event that they saw an officer armed with one. When our officers deploy into areas where there is the potential for contacting several subjects in a high-crime area, that is when the potential deployment of AR-15's will occur.

Many citizens, through various media outlets, have expressed a concern about the police 'violating rights' or 'violating the Constitution'. We have to abide by the same rules, regulations, and laws that our citizens do. We are not out to violate anyone's rights. Once we have an area that shows a high crime rate or a high call volume, it is our duty and obligation to find out why this is occurring and what we can do to prevent the trend from continuing. Therefore, identifying subjects in those problem areas help us to solve crimes, and hopefully to prevent future crimes.

Some drastic measures may be needed to tame high-crime areas, but setting a precedent to violate personal rights will never end well for innocent citizens. Authorities tend to take a mile when you give them an inch. Be careful citizens of Paragould what you're willing to give up to supposedly reduce crime.

35 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Would the mere presence of armed police in the streets not tame criminality in itself?

High visibility policing is quite effective but do they really need to be dressed in riot gear, carrying assault rifles and actively engaging the public to ask everyone for 'their papers' please? The resemblance to early Nazi Germany is striking.

Sounds more like they are accustoming the masses for a future national roll-out of this scheme or perhaps something far worse. It all starts with special Police Swat Teams and then will likely absorb elements of the military.

With all this domestic drone legislation we will likely see a combination of drone surveillance and Police/SWAT/Military Hit Squads to quell disturbances. Cheaper than actually staffing local police stations and serves the larger agenda of creating the Ultimate Police State.

Is this what all the billions of rounds of ammunition ordered by the DHS earmarked for?

"We abide by the same rules that our citizens do". Someone needs to inform this fool he's a citizen and that he does not possess other citizens. If he thinks otherwise, he needs to move to Saudi Arabia.

its true. if your out walking or driving after dark they stop you, ask questions, then ask to search you. because of increased crime, lack of manpower etc...this is being done. i can actually say for the most part i trust our local police and understand they know what time it is and what needs to be done. otherwise, it will get out of control which is exactly what was happening. i am not by any means for the police state. i'm just speaking for our small city. there's also been an upsurge in people from all over the country encroaching on our small city that has me concerned especially with california being in the crapper like it is. what are they escaping from thats worse than california.

The funny thing is if they were doing their job right there should be no crime or very little crime. Seeing that crime is on the rise one would think that they aint doing their job. Hmmm me wounders if i did such a shit job at work i would have no job so why do these dicks still have jobs?

Actung mien furor Stovall, sieg heil! (and anyone else that tries to justify our growing police state. This is dangerous, totalitarian, onerous, and the ends do NOT justify the means! Our liberties are tenuous and are being taken away under the guise of "security" incrementally on an almost daily basis. There is NO justification for a virtual martial law declaration, (which this is tantamount to).

Those who give up their freedoms & Liberty for a false security deserve neither & that what Americans are willingly doing because of the false terror threats our own gov has done itself! Congress is to blame, they will not & have not done their jobs in the last 100 yrs!

Deal with it like you would with any other thug.When on the you should always be armed when cops step out side the law (not there policys that they call law)you have every right and duty to protect yourself. Hitler's SS had uniforms,would you let them mess with you today...

The whole problem with this is, CRIME REDUCTION IS EVERYONE'S RESPOSNIBILITY. That is why we all need to "carry". The police and people should be working together. BUT, this is one scary scenario that is totally unnecessary and intrusive.

If citizens would get their heads out of the crap pile, we wouldn't have this issue - so, folks, make this right. Defend yourselves against Tyranny. We do NOT need the police in our face - what we do need is an educated and responsible populace that can take care of themselves - not this bullsh*t.

Let's see... Population ~26K in the 2010 census. Located in the upper right corner of AR near the MO bootheel. Little to no industry. Plenty of tattoo parlors, pawn shops... It's almost a straight shot north to Poplar Bluff, MO, crossroads of the drug trade in the Midwest, less than an hour and a half away. Probably a good idea just to relocate if one can afford to do so and get out of the area entirely.

The 2011 F.B.I. Uniform Crime Report actually shows that American violence is down across the country. Violent crimes such as murder have officially dropped for the 5th year in a row; the number of American murders is now the lowest it has been in more than 40 years.Get A Grip The Government Is Taking Control Of The Masses.Look Up Your Nearest FEMA Camp.... Welcome To Prison Fellow Citizens, The Government Just Took Your Rights :/

The USA is in terminal decline - like the Roman empire which collapsed due to its own madness so is the USA eating itself from the inside with an infection of the brain caused by all the drugs they consume and the poor nutrition and the constant wars abroad. it is all too much for the psyche, it is imploding in violence and paranoia.

I agree with the person who said that if they're worried about crime, their mere presence should be a deterrent but this scenario of stopping people on the street and asking for their i.d is so intrusive and it sounds like Hitler's SS to me. I don't like it at all..no one should. Living in a police state is no kind of freedom at all.

Allowing this practice is asking for tyranny. Its the "totaltarian tiptoe" little by little they will evolve a complete Nazi "police state".If it is a high crime area then just their pressense should be enough..Asking for ID without any reason is already tyranny police state tactics....The goal of congress whether it is the dems or GOP is to bring a new world order that the elites have been planning for hundreds of years and the criminal congress et al has been paid off to make this happen...and it has already started....The land of the free is no more.... the people need to fight for freedom again and time is running out.

Now I just got done telling my friend there was hope after reading the natural news article stating this wont happen as many cops etc said so..This guy needs a History Lesson,, and then ask him if he want the future to look like the 30s in NAZI GERMANY?Can he really be taht stupid?If he think he is a brown shirt,he better read how Hitler turned on them too.

Mayor Mike Gaskill and Police Chief Todd Stovall of Paragould,Arkansas The Dumb and Dumber of Arkansas.And supposing an innocent law abiding citizen refuses to be harrassed or is carrying a concealed licensed gun Are they gonna get all New Orleansy one em and beat em to the ground and take their gun.

The police in just about every small town in the USA already know who the criminals and bad actors are. This is another local money grab (arrest and fine the average citizen)to protect their jobs. When times are tough and small towns lay off workers some of the first to get the axe are the police,fire departments followed by city workers And school teachers.

"Liberty is not for these slaves; I do not advocate inflicting it against their conscience. On the contrary, I am strongly in favor of letting them crawl and grovel all they please before whatever fraud or combination of frauds they choose to venerate... Our whole practical government is grounded in mob psychology and.. the Boobus Americanus will follow any command that promises to make him safer". -- H. L. Menchen -- 1956 -- * change the world more than it changes you *

Know Your Rights! Servants don't "command" their masters. Cops, judges, prosecutors, etc. are all PUBLIC SERVANTS. They serve YOU! The sole purpose of going to court is to establish a "PUBLIC RECORD."

If you represent yourself (Pro Se Litigant) then you are an "officer of the court" and can use "DISCOVERY" to your advantage, especially in a jury trial (which you should always demand).

Don't buy into the old B.S. phrase that states "any man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client." That is pure propaganda and DECEPTION. Educate yourself on "Sui Juris."

One-hundred years ago, most men, women, and even children knew and understood basic Civil Government and the Law of the Land (Common Law). Today, it isn't even taught in schools. Fascist governments (like the US and Canada) want obedient corporate slaves who NEVER question "authority."

If you doubt that you can win, check out what lawyers.com has to say (http://blogs.lawyers.com/2011/09/going-pro-se-handling-legal-problems-on-your-own/). I've won and so can you. In a major case, especially if you are looking at spending a long time behind bars or facing huge fines/fees/restitution/etc., you can always hire one or more attorneys, a paralegal, or other capable persons to ASSIST in your defense, but NOT to actually "represent" you.

For a link to a free E-Book (Sui Juris) that teaches you how to easily represent yourself (and more), click on my name.

All of this nut-ball crap because of illegal immigrants? Just what the Sam Hill are they doing there, anyway? Just working without a green card? And a bunch of armed thugs and goons...er...police because of it?

9/11 Questions

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